The Ascension gives hope at a time when we need direction

Saturday, May 11, 2013

At this time of the year there are many students graduating from eighth grade, high school, and college and are getting their diplomas. One student remarked that she was experiencing a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand, she was excited and on the other hand, she was sad and also felt a feeling of being lost.

Another student said, we’ve just finished four years of college, now what? Now we are going out into the world.

This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension in our Church calendar year. It can have a two-fold purpose. It can serve as a graduation ceremony for the apostles and it can also emphasize the theme of hope in the lives of those going out into the world. Jesus has spent three years with the apostles, instructing them, teaching them, healing people and showing his followers the mighty works of God. Now, He is leaving them and He is sending them out into the world.

In Matthew’s Gospel, he tells us when the eleven gathered with Jesus they worshipped Him but they also doubted. In other words, just like today’s graduates the apostles have a lot of mixed feelings. Probably excitement but also sadness. So they say, now what Jesus?

Jesus tells them, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Know that I am with you to the very ends of the earth.”

The message of the Ascension is that you are my witnesses of my forgiving grace, of my healing mercy, of my peace and of my transforming love. Show these qualities and virtues to others. And then, my graduation message will be seen and heard.

Like the apostles, we too have all kinds of mixed feelings. However, as Christians we are asked to be hope-filled people. We have all sorts of hope in our lives. We hope that God will bless our world with peace. We hope that God will bless our country with prosperity, that those who are unemployed will find jobs, that the hungry will be fed, and the homeless find shelter and be clothed. We also hope that God will bless our families with health and happiness.

But there is a higher hope that we should all keep our eyes on – the hope of the Ascension. Christ has ascended to be at the right hand of the Father, where He has gone, we hope to follow.

Whenever we are suffering, whenever we are broken-hearted, whenever we are grieving, Christ is encouraging us. Our attitude as a Christian should be one of joyful hope. The world desperately needs people of joyful hope. Jesus is encouraging us as He encouraged His apostles: Be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Are we people of joyful hope?Father Loren M. Kalinowski is from Sacred Heart Parish in Mt. Pleasant.